At Advancing Eco Agriculture, we have the privilege of working with many different farms, and many different types of farmers and farm managers. We have observed that farm managers tend to be on a spectrum of management intensity. Some farmers measure and manage everything they can. Others don’t. Some farmers are exceptionally successful, and others wonder why. There is always a direct and linear correlation between those who measure and manage and those who are really successful. They are the same people, running the same farms.

 

We experience these examples in stark contrast every day, and cannot understand why some farmers believe they cannot afford to measure. The reality is, you cannot afford not to measure. 

 

We have been able to gain some unexpected insights from the use of sap analysis as a nutrition management tool. First of all, plant sap analysis makes farmers a lot of money. Secondly, sap analysis saves farmers a lot of money.

 

Did you know that the nutrient deficiencies of your crops are likely not caused by nutrient deficiencies?

 

Since we have started using plant sap analysis, we see that many of the nutrient deficiencies that crops experience are not caused by inadequate nutrition.  Instead, most imbalances are created by the nutrient excesses farmers apply, which trigger the deficiencies of other elements.

 

This is a powerful realization because it means we can often improve plant performance and vigor by stopping unnecessary applications. This can obviously save a lot of money in wasted fertilizer applications. As the excess nutrient levels are reduced, the previous deficiencies come into balance, and plant vigor jumps very quickly. This makes a lot of money.

 

Using sap analysis gives you accurate information and data to make better assessments of what is happening, and make more effective decisions.

 

Using sap analysis gives you the ability to detect nutritional imbalances three to four weeks earlier than tissue analysis.

 

Using sap analysis allows you to tell immediately which products are performing in the field, and which are not.

 

Using sap analysis allows you to accurately define the differences in nutritional requirements between different cultivars, which makes a lot of money.

 

Using sap analysis allows you to make proactive decisions to manage nutrition, rather than reactive decisions after a problem has already become evident.

 

Using sap analysis enables you to prevent problems, instead of just band-aiding them.

 

So, with this overwhelming performance advantage, which has been proven by leading farmers, why are you not measuring?